Contact: Taiah Gallisath, Associate Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5302
 
MEQUON, Wis. (Feb. 25, 2026) – Facing feels-like temperatures of 18 degrees and wind gusts reaching 15 miles per hour in Mequon, Wisconsin, the North Central College men's lacrosse team battled tough conditions Wednesday afternoon but ultimately fell, 13-4, to Concordia University Wisconsin. The Cardinals move to 0-2 to open the season, while the Falcons continued their strong start, improving to 3-0 on the year.
 
North Central kept pace statistically in several areas but was ultimately outmatched in shots (50-38), shots on goal (32-25), ground balls (33-25), saves (21-19), and clears (21-17). North Central did hold a narrow edge in caused turnovers, forcing 17 compared to Concordia's 15. Four different Cardinals found the back of the net, as Ben Kerkow, Beckett Krause, Devon Manjarrez, and Seth Rosen each scored. Will Handberg and Ty Nagy added one assist apiece.
 
On the defensive front, Alex Porter led the Cardinals with five ground balls and three caused turnovers with Zach Coursel recording four scoops and causing two miscues. Beck Hagen and Matthew Cranston split time in goal, with Hagen recording 11 saves while allowing seven goals, and Cranston totaled eight saves with six goals allowed. At the faceoff X, Gavin Braley went 8-for-19, with Alex Anderson adding a 1-for-2 effort.
 
Concordia set the tone early, scoring just over a minute into the contest. North Central responded quickly, however, as Cranston forced a turnover that sparked a transition opportunity. Handberg completed the clear and found Manjarrez for an open look, evening the score at 1-1.
 
The Falcons seized control with a six-goal run in the first quarter, showcasing their offensive depth and ball movement. Kerkow halted the surge late in the second quarter with a determined individual effort, finishing with a no-look goal to make it 8-2 heading into halftime.
 
Concordia continued to press its advantage in the third quarter, extending the lead to 11-2. With 6:17 remaining in the period, Nagy connected with Rosen for North Central's third goal of the afternoon. The Falcons answered with two more goals before the end of the frame to maintain control.
 
Despite the deficit, the Cardinals continued to battle throughout, forcing 17 turnovers limiting Concordia's scoring opportunities for extended stretches in the fourth quarter.
 
A ground ball scoop by Kerkow set up another offensive chance for the Cardinals. Off the transition, Chris Veal found Krause cutting to the crease for North Central's fourth and final goal, but it wasn't enough as the Falcons claimed the 13-4 victory.
 
North Central will look to regroup in its home opener on Saturday, Feb. 28 as the Cardinals host the University of Dubuque inside Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium at 3 p.m.